US federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's efforts to suspend USAID staff
A United States federal judge on Feb. 7 imposed a temporary restraining order on U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to place thousands of employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave.
Before the temporary block, over 2,000 USAID staffers had been set to go on administrative leave at midnight.
The "very limited" restraining order covers the the pending employee suspensions as well as "the accelerated removal of people from their countries," Judge Carl Nichols said following a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Earlier on Feb. 7, Trump called for the immediate closure of the agency, writing "CLOSE IT DOWN!" on the platform Truth Social.
A notice posted on USAID's website informed staff that all the agency's direct hires worldwide would be placed on administrative leave as of Feb. 7, 11:59 p.m. The announcement said the agency would pay for their return to the U.S. within 30 days, with limited case-by-case extensions available.
Unions representing USAID workers filed for a temporary restraining order to block the surprise suspension, arguing that Trump's efforts to dismantle the agency are "unconstitutional and illegal."
During the hearing, Judge Nichols, a Trump appointee, asked Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate to explain why the layoffs were so urgent. Shumate said that Trump had determined there was fraud and corruption at USAID, without providing any evidence.
Trump has targeted USAID, the U.S. government's lead humanitarian aid agency, from his first days in office. His administration has ordered a three-month freeze on nearly all international development funding and reportedly plans to lay off most of the agency's global workforce.
The White House has repeatedly accused USAID of widespread waste and fraud, even though foreign aid comprises only 1% of the federal budget.
The administration earlier this week placed the agency under the control of the State Department. Crews were seen on Feb. 7 removing the USAID signage from the front of the agency's headquarters in Washington.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support. The agency's programs help to rebuild schools after Russian attacks, pay for bomb shelters, repair critical energy infrastructure, and fund civil society initiatives.
Kateryna Denisova
